Restriction: Permission of ARHU-English department. Additional information: May fulfill seminar requirements for MA in English with Concentration in Rhetoric and Composition.

Seminar in Modern Rhetorical Theory. Theories and trends in twentieth and twenty-first century rhetorical theory

In this course we’ll examine modern, postmodern, and contemporary theories of rhetoric and analyze how scholars have used these theories to better understand the composition, design, and delivery of texts—broadly conceived—in both physical and virtual worlds. We will consider a range of theories of rhetoric, from visual, digital, and multimodal rhetorics to cultural rhetorics, feminist rhetorics, and organizational and professional rhetorics, and we will work to understand various methodologies used for analyzing rhetorical pratices and production, such as rhetorical genre analysis, cultural-historical activity theory, ethnography, and historiography. A sequence of writing projects will move students through the process of learning how to design, propose, develop, revise, and deliver a major academic research essay.

Students are welcome to this course regardless of their level of familiarity with the field of rhetorical studies.